The Cactus Hunters: Desire and Extinction in the Illicit Succulent Trade

Abstract

Plant collectors and enthusiasts are attracted to cacti and succulents in part because of their showy flowers in comparison to body size for many species. For example, the cactus genus Mammillaria, among others, is often found in cactus collections. Nevertheless, this human attraction for the collection and growing of cacti has led to an extensive illegal trade of cacti well documented in this book. Cacti over collecting coupled with the fact that 31%, or about1500 cacti species, are considered threatened, results in harvesting pressure that creates environmental concerns for the preservation of these plants. Margulies’s book raises awareness to the problem of cactus collection, trading, and selling both legally and illegally.